Join Dr. Oz and Donate Your Children’s Books (0:40)

There's no overstating the importance of reading, particularly during early years. When young brains are “exercised” through talking, reading, and singing, they grow stronger and set our children on a life trajectory for success. Learn more about why reading is key to learning. Children’s storybooks play an important role in encouraging families to talk, read, and sing together. And yet some of the statistics around children’s reading are grim: Fewer than half (48 percent) of young children in the United States are read to daily and 61 percent of low-income families have no age-appropriate books in their homes.

From This Episode:

That’s why The Dr. Oz Show has teamed up with UPS, First 5 California, and WIC to support Books Across America, a national book drive. We’re calling for all Americans to donate new and gently used books for children ages five and younger. Our goal is to get as many books in the hands of families with children ages 0 to 5 as possible.

How to Donate Your Books

To donate, bring new or gently used children’s books for kids ages 0 to 5 to participating The UPS Store locations from May 25 through May 31. Call ahead to check if your local store is participating.

At the store, look for dedicated collection boxes identified with a Books Across America poster, and drop in your books.

Don’t forget to snap a photo of your good deed and post on social media using #BooksAcrossAmerica! With your help, we can get books in the hands of families with young children.